By Michael Suchorsky

This is what I am seeing on this calm beautiful night of a full Strawberry Moon? As well as my vague concern for my comfort level turning me into a mass murderer?
These are the thoughts I carry along with a glass of wine as I visit various fields in the dark.

As I gaze upon the yard I see ONE firefly blinking one time, a 2nd blinking two times, a 3rd three times, and a 4th four times. They are the only lighting bugs visiting the yard, each speaking its own language of love which none of the other present fireflies register. Mateless, loveless denizens of this warm June night…
While walking to the entrance field, I’m surprised, for unlike my yard there are many lightning bugs adazzle in the cabin field I pass on the way to the entrance field—which also has a surprising number of fireflies creating magic—considering we have already passed the solstice, a sure sign of reaching the peak of firefly displays.

But I heard a hot spell was approaching, so I thought today was the day to mow lawns, trails, and in the case of the entrance field, the invasive species I am selectively cutting—amounting to more than a third of that field… With dreams that the absence of any part of the plants above ground will stop the ability of their roots to pull water from the ground in the heat. I cut the field in the comfort of the cool pleasant evening weather, and revel that the strain placed upon the invasives will work towards their demise.

But seeing so many active lightning bugs makes me think I killed many while mowing.

All was laid to rest when I visited the untouched 3rd field, with nearly a firefly light display. I realized that there are a good number of lightning bugs sharing a common language of love, and that the partially mowed field has more lightning bugs than the virginal field.

Happy Strawberry Moon to all species! With a suggestion for moderation to the invasives—most importantly humans.~